When you want to squeeze in strength training while leaving your hands free, all you need is one fitness tool—a weighted vest. It has a serious grip on the fitness community thanks to its ability to ...

When the fitness company Peloton added weighted-vest classes to its streaming exercise offerings in May 2025, its members rejoiced, says instructor Rebecca Kennedy. “They were like, ‘Finally! You ...

If you’ve been seeing weighted vests at your local gym and on the streets lately, you’re not alone. Walking while donning a weighted vest—a type of exercise known as “rucking”—is becoming an ...

Once reserved for the military and elite athletes, weighted vests have gone mainstream – showing up everywhere from daily walks to metcon workouts. Now, new research published in Nature suggests they ...

It happened slowly, then all at once. On esplanades and trails, by the water or the mountains, and in the city or the country: Everyone’s walking in a weighted vest. I first noticed it early this year ...

It seems like you can't go anywhere without seeing someone wearing a weighted vest. They're at the gym, on hiking trails, in public parks and on social media feeds, where influencers claim wearing one ...

One of the latest fitness trends involves wearing a weighted vest as you walk around or hike. NPR's Katia Riddle asked if they even work. KATIA RIDDLE, BYLINE: Not only are weighted vests all over ...